Head gasket replacement

[keithb7]

The wear on the valve train components, to me is concerning. The top end is the last to get oil. It takes a few seconds to get oil pressure up there every time you start the engine.  Residual oil sits there from the last time the engine was shut off. So you get some protection. Cold starts, cold thick oil, add more time to get oil up there. Let these engines get oil up there before any throttle is applied, at initial start up. This is where good quality oil really shines, in valve train components. They have the highest stresses in the engine, is my understanding. Once the rocker shafts and bores are scored like this, you're into the shxt, and it keeps getting worse and worse from what I have seen. Oil samples sent to a lab will turn up metal, coming from these scored surfaces.  I'd get those parts out of any engine that I intend to keep and run. The metal will get picked up by your filter, however what will it go through before it gets to the filter? What about a filter that goes into by-pass mode? Bad stuff.

 

On another note, speaking of Turbos. Just this week I wrapped up the install of a new stock replacement Holset HX35W in my 98.5. Wow. What a difference. There was some end shaft play present on the original turbo. I noticed the original turbo was starting to let oil through to the air intake side. If you have a high mile turbo, I'd waste no time thinking about replacing it. I'd just do it, based on what benefits I experienced.

 

Edited March 29, 2019 by keithb7

[Dieselfuture]

9 hours ago, dripley said:

But if trunions are the same I would throw 150 bucks at a set and try and polish the rockers. 

Manton website just advertises them as 24 valve, no year listed.

[Mopar1973Man]

 

Ok. I noticed something in this picture. Just looking at the coolant port forward right that looks to be coolant failure of the gasket. Coolant wasn't flushed often enough. I want you to pay close attention to that front corner. Part of the failure is coolant and the other one the typical head curl. Over time the heating and cooling cycles creates head curl stretching the stock head bolts on the ends of the head. The visible rust in that corner is oxidation either by the coolant getting too old and pH dropped or the coolant was mixed too water heavy.  

[dripley]

20 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Ok. I noticed something in this picture. Just looking at the coolant port forward right that looks to be coolant failure of the gasket. Coolant wasn't flushed often enough. I want you to pay close attention to that front corner. Part of the failure is coolant and the other one the typical head curl. Over time the heating and cooling cycles creates head curl stretching the stock head bolts on the ends of the head. The visible rust in that corner is oxidation either by the coolant getting too old and pH dropped or the coolant was mixed too water heavy.  

That is where it was leaking. And yes I am guilty of to long of intervals on changing and flushing the coolant. A habit I broke some time after reading about it here. I did always mix it 50 50 as with all my vehicles. Just never kept one this long.

 

How did yours look on the back corner when it started leaking? I think part of my issue is waiting 20k to fix it after it stared leaking. Just could not get any down time to fix it.

 

My head bolts were almost all the same legnth, 5 1/8". This was by eye comparing one bolt to all the rest. I do realize that we are talking thousands of an inch here so eye ball is not accurate to that but the few that were different were miniscule.

[Mopar1973Man]

1 minute ago, dripley said:

How did yours look on the back corner when it started leaking? I think part of my issue is waiting 20k to fix it after it stared leaking. Just could not get any down time to fix it.

3

 

Mine was a bit different no real rust but it was dark/blackish looking. Unmolested picture after the head was removed.

[Dieselfuture]

How's your cylinder walls look, any pictures. Curious to see after your mileage and dino oil.

[dripley]

Here is an example i have found of late model rockers be represented to fit early and late.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5-9L-6-7L-Diesel-Valve-Rocker-Arm-Assembly-Fits-98-18-Dodge-Ram-2500-3500-/273003887872?redirect=mobi

 

I dont know the product other than what it says. I found numerous similar adds for new and used. Anyone else ever look into this?

1 minute ago, Dieselfuture said:

How's your cylinder walls look, any pictures. Curious to see after your mileage and dino oil.

Not yet. I took a day off and played with the family. My daughter and 2 grand daughters  are spending the week here. I will try and get some later today. Got to start getting it cleaned up. 

[Dieselfuture]

2 hours ago, dripley said:

I took a day off and played with the family

Family first,  respect for that. I have an issue though, if something isn't right I tend to not eat and not sleep till I'm done. I need to fix that about myself  !!!

[Mopar1973Man]

2 hours ago, dripley said:

Not yet. I took a day off and played with the family.

 

Yep... Gotta be with family first. More important that Cummins. Get your mind right first and the rest will fall in place, my friend.

[Dieselfuture]

On 3/26/2019 at 10:54 PM, dripley said:

My 66 year old arse dont pick up nothing it dont have to.

[Cronus577]

7 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

How's your cylinder walls look, any pictures. Curious to see after your mileage and dino oil.

Here's how mine looked at 355k miles. Kind of blurry but still has factory crosshatching. I couldn't believe how clean the inside of this engine was

[dripley]

I will  get some better ones when I start cleaning everything. I can see the cross hatching in everything visible and no scoring. What do you think?

 

2 & 3

Better view of 6

4, 5 & 6

 

Thought i had one of 1 but it is similar to the others.

[Bullet]

Looks like brand new still...cross hatching is very easy to see! 

[Dieselfuture]

 

I think yours looks way better than mine, and this thing only had 153k when I did this, unless it's a different engine. And definitely something went through the motor to scuff it up like it did. Another thing sucks about not owning a vehicle from new. Second picture you can see almost like someone machined a little chunk off inside cylinder wall on top middle where it meets the head 

[Bullet]

Looks like a broken ring or something foreign got in there...no hot spots. 

[dripley]

@Dieselfuture I notice a spray pattern on top of the piston. Mine are solid black on the entire piston top. 

[Mopar1973Man]

7 hours ago, dripley said:

Mine are solid black on the entire piston top.

 

Same here. Timing advancement of the Edge Comp?

[Dieselfuture]

9 hours ago, Bullet said:

Looks like a broken ring or something foreign got in there...no hot spots. 

 

8 hours ago, dripley said:

@Dieselfuture I notice a spray pattern on top of the piston. Mine are solid black on the entire piston top. 

I think I wiped it clean and could see that injector pattern after, can't remember if it was all black in beginning 

1 hour ago, Mopar1973Man said:

8 hours ago, dripley said:

Mine are solid black on the entire piston top.

 

Same here. Timing advancement of the Edge Comp?

I didn't think I run extraordinary timing from everyone else, could of been injectors I was using, the ones came out that time were some aftermarket nozzles, I had dap rebuild them a while back. 

[dripley]

Before I try and pull them out, will the dowels in the head come out? Looks like it would be easier to cleanup with them out.

[Dieselfuture]

My dowel rings stayed in the block, I didn't mess with them. I'm sure they come out somewhat easy, I didn't want to screw them up

Edited March 30, 2019 by Dieselfuture